Get Found on Stitcher

There you are.

You’ve designed a podcast, recorded your voice and produced a final *.mp3 file. You’ve decided on a podcast media host, created an account, and started a show. Once you’ve uploaded your first *.mp3 file, you finally receive the one thing that makes you a podcaster: a freshly minted RSS feed file with a single episode in it!

What comes next?

You’re going to need a base of operations that everything can be centered around. So you go about purchasing a domain name, building a website, and embedding your media’s hosts podcast player on the front page.

Now listeners can come to your website and play your podcast because that’s how this thing works, right?

Wrong.

You are ready — There is no doubt about that! You already have a website for your show, a media host to hold your content files, a first episode, and that RSS Feed. You’ve certainly come 80 percent of the way there. However, it is that last 20 percent that needs to get done before you will start to find an audience.

It’s time to go where your audience listens to podcasts and it’s time to tell the top podcast directories that your podcast exists.

Here’s how:

Stitcher

1. First, you will need to join Stitcher’s membership for Podcast Creators.

2. Once you have an account, you can click the ADD A SHOW button. This will activate the Add Your Show popup window that will ask you for your RSS Feed. Place your RSS Feed URL in the form provided.

3. Stitcher will make sure your RSS Feed is valid behind the scenes. If there are no errors, you will be asked to “Confirm This Is Yours” via email. Click the “Got It” button to begin confirmation.

4. In your email, you will be sent a confirmation email from Stitcher that requires that you click the “I Approve. Add This Show to Stitcher” button. When you click it, you will go back to Stitcher and be asked to log in. Once you’ve done this, you will have successfully added your podcast to their directory.

5. If you go back to the Stitcher popup window, there is one more step to complete: Terms of Service. Read through the Stitcher Terms of Service, if you like what you see then click the “Agree” link to continue.

6. That’s it! You should see a “High Five! Your show has been added” message and a link to return to the Partner Portal. Click the “Take me to the Partner Portal” to see your show in your account.

7. It takes some time before Stitcher uploads the content from the RSS Feed. This includes show art, episode titles, and links. As with all the directories, give it some time and check back later. You should see it available within 72 hours. The operative word here is “should”!

8. Meanwhile, if you click the podcast’s show art (which may or may not be showing at the moment) you get a few details about your show in Stitcher. The Manage Show page will allow you to add social links and your website, while the Promote Show page will give you the Stitcher Show URL and links to a Website Embeddable Player.

Over the next few days, use the Stitcher Show URL to quickly check to see if your Stitcher listing is complete. You should get a “Welcome to Stitcher” email at some point as well.

What now?

Now you get to wait. And wait. And wait some more! If you’ve done everything above all you can do is keep checking. It will show up at some point. If it has been 2-weeks and you STILL cannot find your podcast in any of these directories, then you should investigate. Otherwise, keep waiting until you magically find your podcast listed where you think it should be.

It takes time for these directories to index your RSS Feed. Think about the other 2,000 podcasts being created each week, all asking to be indexed right alongside yours! If you have to wait, why not go find some of the other 200 other directories out there and add your podcast to them too.

A Quick Strategy to Consider While Waiting

Look, you’re going to be waiting a long time when you submit a new podcast to any directory. Facebook groups are full of new podcasters freaking out when Stitcher doesn’t list their podcast within an hour of submission. Don’t be that kind of new podcaster. Waiting for your new podcast submissions to be approved is a right of passage for ALL podcasters!

One big problem that new podcasters run into is the infamous “Launch Date”. The idea that you need to launch your podcast on a certain date because it is part of a marketing campaign or needed to mark a special anniversary, trips up too many new podcasters to ignore. They get into a big rush to get their podcast submitted to all the big directories only to be stymied by long submission delays.

Don’t set yourself up for disappointment!

If you already know you’re going to be waiting, do something early to take advantage of that delay. A sneaky way to get around this problem is by creating either a short episode #1 or a trailer. This episode is either a summary of the highlights from what is to come, an introduction to your podcast, or a quick win that early listeners can benefit from. This becomes your first episode and is already something you need to get yourself a valid RSS feed.

Once you have that episode up in all the directories THEN decide your “Launch Party” date. Why? Nobody knows you exist! Just because you have an episode out there doesn’t mean anyone has found it, heard it, or even knows it can be discovered. Use this special podcast anonymity to create Episode #2 — the real episode that will launch your podcast. That way you never have to wait for your new episodes to show up in all the directories.

You will have already paid the waiting time price and be ready on any date you choose!

Now go create something great!